Aurelia's Wish
by Flora Belle Jardiniere
Summary: Aurelia goes through various mis-adventures as she untangles her past, so she can walk into a bright new future.
1. Chapter 1

Aurelia's Wish--Chapter 1

**Scene 1—The End from the Beginning**

Aurelia yawned, stretched, and rolled over to wake her sleeping husband, Henry. She was eager to get going, as today was the day they left on their cruise of the Alaskan Fjords. It had been at least five years since they'd had a decent vacation, and she didn't want to miss a second of this one; for she had wonderful news to share with him on their first night aboard ship.

She reached over, tousled his hair, and gently blew in his ear to wake him. He remained unconscious, which hadn't happened since they'd married five years ago. Surprised and dismayed by his lack of response, she shook him in the hopes that would rouse him from his slumbers. When this method elicited no response, she checked for a pulse at his carotid artery; then she screamed.

Patiently and thoroughly, she examined him for injuries. She found a deep slice in his neck that had severed his jugular vein; killing him while he slept. Aurelia, feeling decidedly hazy, searched their bedroom for clues to his wound; but didn't see anything unusual. She returned to her tender ministrations and found that his neck was soaked with blood, which had already been oozing from the wound from some time when she found him.

She eased her shaking form out from under the covers, reached for the phone, and lifted it from the receiver; and screamed louder this time. The line was totally dead and the receiver dangled uselessly from her unconscious fingers, as she keeled over from the after effects of the sedative their attacker had given her when he'd entered their condo on Seventh Avenue.

Sheridan's grin went from a mere rictus movement to a full on smile when his ex-wife finally felt the sharp pain of steel between her ribs. She'd only fainted, not died, so he was eagerly anticipating awakening her when they reached their destination. He'd been stewing for ten long years in a 9' by 5' cell at Sing Sing, thanks to the bitch. He wasn't about to let her die until he was damn good and ready for it to happen, and that wouldn't be for at least a few days yet.

Her twin, now his second wife, was just as anxious to be rid of her; but more to prevent a reunion with him than anything else. Sheridan Donnelly was bad news for any woman unfortunate enough to make his acquaintance, but Mandra didn't know that yet. He'd only married her out of spite and would remedy THAT particular screw up as soon as he returned Trudy to her proper state of mind. If that meant making her watch as he murdered her sister, just as he'd done last night with hubby number two, then so be it. But he'd have her his slave again if it took him the rest of his life to achieve that fond ambition.

Trudy had been badly mistaken when she'd assumed a ten year stint in the penitentiary would teach him to leave her alone. All that time had done was give him time to plan his attack to perfection; hire the goons that would help him make it happen; and then watch as they were killed to prevent them testifying against him in court. He had no concept of justice, or of a woman's right to decide for herself who would share the rest of her life.

She'd been an utter fool to testify against him after their last fight. She'd committed her second folly when she'd ratted out the location of the van he'd used in his robberies. Her third error of judgment was disappearing, changing her identity, and thinking that those puny measures would keep him from finding her when he got out. But her worst mistake was remarrying so soon after his incarceration; because she'd been a complete idiot to think he'd ever let her go, especially after she made it big as a writer and artist.

The lady was simply too beautiful and warm to release from captivity, even if it meant several more trips to prison between reunions. He craved her touch, and didn't care if it was given willingly or at the point of a gun or knife. He yearned for her yielding flesh beneath his and her warmth beside him at night; and he knew just how to induce her to do his bidding. It'd be nice if she returned his feelings, but it wasn't essential to his plans for their future together. What he hadn't counted on was her getting pregnant by her second husband, and how he'd feel for the mite she was expecting.

"Ah, my sleeping beauty awakens from her dreams," Sheridan's voice sliced through the remains of her tattered dreams like a rapier into a damsel's tender flesh. "It's about time you roused, you little lazybones. Your daddy's starved for a little affection."

"And what on earth led you to believe I'd return your warped version of love, you SOB?" Aurelia said tiredly. "You kill and mutilate the love of my life, kidnap me, rape my unconscious form; and then have the utter gall to expect love from me? I'd as soon die, thanks very much. After experiencing real love and tenderness for the first time in my life, I'd rather slit my throat than spend even another second anywhere in your vicinity. They need to lock you up and throw away the key to keep other women safe from your version of reality."

"Ah, we're back to the insults, are we?" He sneered over a clenched jaw. He'd conveniently forgotten their last heated exchange before the bitch had pressed charges of sexual assault and physical battery against him, put him behind bars for ten years, and then up and married another guy just a year after he'd been convicted on all counts. He liked the new name, though. It sounded a lot nicer than Trudy Willis.

"I have several scores to settle with you Trudes, among which is getting my revenge for the lies you told about me to get me convicted. I'm going to enjoy making you pay for each and every foul word you hurled at me ten years ago before you left. I 'm going to relish teaching you the meaning of love according to Sheridan, and I'm going into utter bliss planning your re-education on proper wifeliness."

"Then you'd better be ready for one monster of a fight, Sher," another male voice uttered from the hallway, "because she's wearing a wire and a homing beacon. Apparently, our little black widow's determined to live her own life in spite of how and where she was raised."

"Who'd trust you with such valuable equipment?" Horace sneered from his perch by the back stoop. "Don't they know what an airhead you are under stress?"

"As it happens, I'm far better collected upstairs than I was when I left here eleven years ago, Horace. I've obtained several college degrees, made many valuable allies in the local and Federal constabularies, and done a complete 360 from my Trudy Willis days. I was always the lady you see before you today, but she got buried under years of drug abuse and insane behavior."

"Ah, help arrives. And not a moment too soon, I'll wager."

The two males did a quick 180 when they heard the squealing sirens and tires through the open window that faced the intersection Fifth Avenue and Gracelynne Street. Horace shot a venomous glare at Sheridan for getting him into yet another sticky situation, before deftly disappearing down the townhouse's dumbwaiter; leaving him alone with his ex-wife until the cops arrived. The man was more than a little nutzo over his ex, and Horace was glad he wasn't her right now.

From the looks of her, Sher had already been hard at work on the poor girl. She was bruised everywhere you looked, had scratches and burn marks on her arms, and dried blood covered her upper torso. This time, his old buddy had gone way too far, even for him. Trudy had changed her name, her address, and her appearance to escape the brute; but he'd refused to let her go. Now the guy was going back in, whether he wanted to or not; and if the rumors already circulating about Trudy's second husband were true, this time he'd get the death penalty for sure.

©Petra K. Barajas **Aurelia's Wish Chapter 1; Scene 1**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aurelia's Wish--Chapter 1**

**Scene 2—A Bit of History**

Aurelia looked blankly at the officers as they stormed through the front door of her prison. The brownstone sat catty corner between a grocery store and a McDonald's chain restaurant; and across the street from a railroad depot. She knew she should be hysterical, but was numbed by a combination of shock and sedation; so she couldn't react as a grieving widow should. She'd been deeply in love with her late husband, and knew the pain of his death would come soon enough, so she accepted the temporary calm as a blessing.

"Hi, ma'am," a youngish female officer said timidly, unsure of her mental state, "should we take you to an ER somewhere and do a rape kit on you?"

"Yes, Officer Maxwell, that would be an excellent idea, given this gentleman's history with me. Can you tell me when he was released from Sing Sing? He's my ex-husband, so I should've been informed of his pending freedom, and given an opportunity to appear at his release hearing to recommend against his receiving parole."

"I'll look into that, Mrs. Ardmoore, and let you know why we failed to protect you from this monster. Is all that dried blood yours?"

"I'm afraid it's my second husband's dear. Mr. Donnelly murdered him last evening and was in the process of raping and killing me when I awakened and interrupted his fun; sometime between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m."

"You've sure got a mind for detail, Aurelia," a familiar voice said soothingly. "How could you remember all of that at a time like this?"

"I'm a trained forensics technician, remember, Ralph? I want my beloved Henry to get the justice he deserves, which won't happen if I fall apart before I give my statement downtown. When you run my prints, they'll come back to a Trudy Willis from Schenectady. I have an extensive criminal history under that name, which I related to my late hubby before we wed. I did that so there'd be no ugly surprises after the wedding.

"I also told him of my disaster of a first marriage to Mr. Donnelly over there, and why I left him in the first place. He's known for beating his females into submission if he can't get what he wants any other way, and I was no exception to that rule."

"Ah, Ms. Willis, I was wondering when we'd meet again. It's been a few years, hasn't it?" Chief Allensworth intoned from the foyer.

"Chief, I've been busy being a good girl for the past ten years. Unlike my ex-husband, I moved on once I was rid of him. I was single for a few years, and then met my late husband Henry on a singles cruise of the Bahamas seven years ago. We hit it off, but took things slowly so we wouldn't make a mistake we'd later regret. We were to leave for a honeymooner's cruise of Tahiti and Pago Pago this morning; but Mr. Donnelly had other ideas."

"Sounds interesting, Trudy, but why would Donnelly want to revisit his past? Especially since you're the one who imprisoned him. Oh, I see. He's out for a bit of vengeance with a helping of sex on the side, if he can get it."

"I'm sorry, sir," Aurelia whispered as the tears finally started to flow, "but he's already had his fun while I was unconscious in that den of horrors. Keep your eyes peeled, because I don't think I'm his first victim since he got out of the pen last month. I saw the traces of at least three others in there before he realized I was lucid enough for more torment."

The four officers attending the scene were amazed at her recall. The Trudy they remembered had been a total ditz, unable to recall anything more than her latest finds at the mall; much less the revelations she'd just disclosed. This Aurelia creature was her total opposite; calm and composed in spite of losing her late husband only hours ago. They'd seen her crying bitter tears earlier and knew she loved him, which surprised them even more. It was obvious that Trudy Willis had died the day she left Schenectady and been reborn as Aurelia LeNieu the minute she set foot in Manhattan.

"Don't look so stupefied by my memory, boys and girls," Aurelia said on a wry laugh. "I'm not the bimbo in Spandex® you remember from ten years ago. Once I'd washed my hands of that man and his associates, I secured several government grants, returned to school, and became one of you; but as a Fed, not a local desk jockey."

"What's your specialty, if I may be so bold?"

"Rex, you're a sweetheart and always have been. I'm a DNA and forensic document analyst. I started with documents and worked my way up to DNA because I had to process so many envelopes with gummed flaps and old-fashioned lick and stick stamps on them. Now, though, you've got to question me about Henry's murder; and I can't even tell you where I was so you can find him."

Aurelia's tears were heart wrenching, coming from deep within her chest; which told the cops gathered nearby that she wasn't faking her grief. Their Trudy was a transformed woman, who had genuinely loved her late spouse and would miss him now that he was dead. Sheridan, himself, realized that he didn't stand a chance with her, but that didn't stop his plotting to recapture her heart once he'd been released from prison in a few years.

He didn't understand that she'd do whatever it took to keep him in the pen until his appeals ran out and he was executed for slicing her poor hubby to ribbons the previous evening. She saw the Chief Coroner for the Bronx approaching and asked to speak with her in private. The good doctor, bemused by her foresight, followed her into a side room for their chat and wondered what they were going to discuss.

"Trudy," Ellyn began softly, only to be cut short by the lady's insisting that she be called Aurelia; as that was her name these days. "I'm sorry, Aurelia, but when we last met you were facing the same sentence that Sheridan received on the same charges. When you flipped to avoid the pen, we were all amazed.

"I'd no idea you'd moved so far from your old neighborhood, that you'd changed your name, and that you'd turned yourself around so completely. I'm impressed."

"I know, Ellyn," she replied warmly, "our last meeting didn't exactly go well, did it?"

"Now that's the understatement of the century!" The Chief chortled as he entered the little room. "You were a hardened criminal and she was our newest recruit in the morgue; you were outmatched and knew it, too. When she agreed to sit with you sans attorney, no one was more surprised than I was. But we were totally floored when you eagerly gave us the location of the weapons, van, and other gear he'd used to rob the bank on Elmhurst and Titian, and stunned when those same tools contained the DNA evidence that cleared you of any wrongdoing.

"That's one of those loose ends that's bugged us all these years, Aurelia. Just how did you know where everything was if you weren't intimately involved in the crimes they were used to commit?"

"Mr. Donnelly gets rather talkative when he's sexually satiated, I was already acting as a Federal informant, and the rest is history, as they say. I merely requested that my Federal handlers share their extensive evidence files with you, so you'd be able to lock the guy up for awhile. I'm just sorry it wasn't longer than it was; and that I wasn't properly notified of his release. Just a couple of hours more and we'd have been safely on our first vacation since we met seven years ago."

Again the tears came and Aurelia let them fall freely. She was alone in the world once more, and this time didn't think she'd be as blessed as she'd been when she'd met her beloved hubby. Fortunately, they'd been squirreling away retirement and other funds to remain at their current levels when they were too old to work; so she wouldn't suffer financially from his death. But she'd be raising their tiny daughter without the father who'd have doted on her.

"Actually, Mrs. MacKennah," Ellyn said firmly, "I need you to identify this man for me. We were alerted to a homicide at around 7:30 a.m. at your current address. Someone lifted the receiver, let it dangle for awhile, and then dropped it on the floor. That sent a signal to the '911' dispatch office, and they sent a squad car to your home."

"7:30, are you sure it wasn't closer to 6:45 or so? I tried to phone the precinct, but thought the line was dead; and then was sedated into unconsciousness by that bastard over there. Sorry for that, but I'm so pissed right now I want to scream bloody murder until someone hears and believes me."

"Oh, we believe you, all right," Corporal Armbruster blustered from the hall. "You're covered in your late hubby's blood, sitting in your ex-partner's digs, and crying up a hurricane about a death that probably means nothing to you at all."

"That's where you'd be totally wrong, Chen," Aurelia replied, her tears evident in her voice. "I've been in love with Henry since our first meeting in 2001. When I fell for him, I knew it was the real thing for the first and last time in my life. I'd been planning to tell him of our impending arrival this evening at dinner; but now he's in heaven so he already knows."

©Petra K. Barajas **Aurelia's Wish Scene 2**


	3. Chapter 3

**Aurelia's Wish--Chapter 1**

**Scene 3—Walking with the Dead**

"You won't get away with it this time, dearie," Sheridan rejoined from his position on the stoop. "You were after the man for his money, plain and simple. It's a miracle he didn't die after the honeymoon ended."

"I'll not answer your comments, Mr. Donnelly. They're salacious and slanderous, besides being untrue. A close examination of our financial dealings will prove that I had more reason for my Hank to be alive than I did to kill him. I was far wealthier than he was, knew more well-placed people, and had a nicer place than he did. I insisted that we not take out life insurance policies on each other, because they weren't necessary."

"What do you mean by unnecessary, Aurelia?"

"When I was my former self, poor and frequently out of work, I needed health and life insurance to survive between jobs. I became interested in making wise investments not long after I secured my first permanent job as a Fed. My interests were piqued because I needed to increase my already decent retirement account to ensure that I'd be okay once I retired. It just snowballed from there, and now I'm one of the wealthiest women in New York City. Hank was ranked just three steps below me when we met. Oh, and we didn't need insurance of any kind because we could afford to do without it. That's what hedge funds are, rich people's replacements for life insurance."

"I see, so money wasn't a motive. Guess you were stepping out on ole Hank and had to kill him so he wouldn't divorce you."

"And why would that be, Donnelly?" Aurelia returned acidly. "Hank and I were extremely happy in bed together, making love often until the wee hours of the morning. My pregnancy is the natural consequence of our nocturnal activities. Not that it's any of your business."

"Why weren't you happy with me, then?"

"You weren't my type, didn't love me, and could've cared less that I reached my peak as long as you got your rocks off. And that's just the top of a very long list of negatives, mister."

Even the hardened officers in the room blushed at Aurelia's commentary, for it reminded them that they weren't the best of lovers to their significant others most of the time. Truly awesome intimacy resulted from willing partners who were as sexually content as they were, not from mere insistence that their partners try again if they weren't in the mood.

"Back to our reason for your presence here, Aurie," Lieutenant Cabbus said quietly. "I'd love to be able to take you at your word, but you do have a history with us, so we'll need proof of your innocence."

"You'll get that in court, Officer," Aurelia's attorney stated cooly as he entered the precinct offices. "I'm here to keep Mrs. MacKennah from speaking amiss in her frenzied state. She may appear calm and lucid to you, but I know her far better than you do. She's in need of a hot bath, a solid meal, and a good night's rest in a safe place; and I'm here to see that she gets them. We'll return at 10 a.m. tomorrow and not a moment sooner, folks. Until then, a thorough review of these documents should confirm what she's said thus far. Something worthy of note, gentlemen, she'd made a will for him but he had yet to return the favor."

"That doesn't mean she didn't have a motive, Bryce. Just that she's better at disguising it than us normal folks."

Neither Aurelia nor Bryce bothered to reply to Sheridan's latest insinuations, as they weren't any truer than his last had been. Bryce could see from the deep grooves on either side of her nose that his client wasn't as with it as she appeared to be, and worried about her mental state. He'd watched her doubling over more than once without anyone asking her what was wrong. She appeared to be miscarrying her little girl, and no one at the precinct seemed to give a damn for anything but pinning Hank's murder on the grieving widow.

He knew that she'd lose it completely if she were to lose her baby so soon after losing her hubby, so he hustled her to The Holy Friar's Monestary & Obstetric Hospital to assure that didn't happen. Hank was his brother and Bryce knew why he'd fallen so hard for this petite blonde fireball. Her tough crust hid the softest heart in the universe, as he'd personally attest in every court until someone believed him. She'd worked too hard, for too long after escaping her past to let that past reclaim her now that his beloved younger brother was gone.

Meanwhile, she was exhibiting the classic signs of arsenic poisoning; paleness, sweating, red eyes, and horrendous cramps. He could only pray that the toxin hadn't killed the baby or her mother, for he'd miss Aurelia if she were to join his brother. He was determined to help her overcome whatever obstacles stood between her and happiness after she'd put Hank in the ground; but she had to survive this most recent assault for that to occur.

He phoned Friar Brian Mulroney on his way to the Friary and told him what to expect when they arrived. This hospital was the only one that guaranteed absolute confidentiality and safety for its patients; chiefly because it was the only one that could do so truthfully. They were secreted beneath a large cliff, at the base of a deep ravine; with satellite facilities secured behind sturdy iron gates. She'd earned their eternal loyalty with years of dedicated volunteer work among their neediest parishoners. She'd won their hearts by steadfastly defending their way of life to the outside world without expecting anything in return.

"How's our patient now, Brother Bryce?" The Head Friar asked, panic turning his voice raspy.

"She's resting and the contractions aren't coming as quickly, but she still needs an antidote and several hours' of complete unconsciousness to be sure she'll carry her little girl to term. The mite's just over three months old, so she should take most of the cures for arsenic poisoning fairly well. It's her mother that concerns me. With the trauma of her husband's brutal murder, her own attempted murder and rape at the hands of their assailant, and this rough trip up your road, it'll be touch and go for awhile."

"Are they expecting her in town to finish her statement tomorrow?"

"If they are, Friar, they can wait. I'm more concerned for Aurelia's state of mind and bodily well being than I am for the state's case against her attacker at this point. Hell, they're trying to pin the entire thing on her thin shoulders."

"That's bad, very bad indeed," Friar McCleary stated coldly as he entered the birthing room. "There's no way she'd have killed her beloved Henry, and we all know that. I understand that she's facing many skeptics from her former borough; people who only think they know her."

"You're right, Friar," Bryce said tiredly. "It appears that our young lady here had quite a lengthy criminal record in Schenectady; one they're not entirely sure she abandoned when she left that life behind her in 1998."

©Petra K. Barajas **Aurelia's Wish Scene 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Aurelia's Wish--Chapter 1**

**Scene 4—Hope Springs Eternal**

Friar Brian paced the ward nervously, watching their beloved patient closely for any negative signs. When she rolled over and cried out in agony, he summoned the four older friars immediately. They approached the cot, knelt down beside Aurelia, and gently awakened her. She stared at them bleary-eyed for a few moments, focused, gave a heavy sigh of relief, and returned to her slumbers.

From this they knew she'd only been having a nightmare and not been in the throes of delivery. Heaving a sigh of relief, the men returned to their studies and prayers; sending special petitions to heaven that their favorite patient wouldn't miscarry her baby, or die trying to ensure Marina's survival.

The four main friars, Brian Mulroney, Aubrey Bearden, Emil Oleander, and Oliver McCleary, met frequently over their prayer shawls that night and well into the next day; when their patient's plaintive cries again summoned them to the obstetrics unit near the rear of their monestary. One look at her writhing figure and they all knew she was in deep trouble. This was no nightmare, but a miscarriage underway; and they must do whatever they could to stop it before the baby was expelled.

"Father Bearden, would you please help me?" She pleaded from her clenched position. "I know my baby's in serious trouble and I can't lose her; not when she's all I have left in this world that matters to me."

"I'll do all I can, Aurelia, but it's in God's hands now; and you know this."

"Please just do what you can, even a gentle laying on of hands would help me tremendously. I could really use a gentle Shiatsu massage on my lower and mid-back, to relax the taut muscles there. I'm not in labor, gentlemen; but resisting the arsenic that Mandra fed me while I was a captive at her and Sheridan's apartment near the old depot. I can't afford to let this baby die, as she's my last chance at motherhood."

This was news to the men in the room, who'd each given her an annual physical and knew her young body was still fully able to bear children. Her grief must be addling her mind, for she'd used words that implied she had no intention of finding another guy once her mourning period ended. This seemed to be yet more evidence that she planned to return to her former occupation once she'd safely brought her baby to full term.

"Guys, I know you're nervous, but please do something besides stare at me as though I've got three heads and am ready to devour you for breakfast! I'm beginning to wonder if this was the right choice after all, since none of you seems able to even hold my hand during this event."

The men blushed from head to toe at this rebuke, for it was true. They were worried out of their minds and none held even a bachelor's degree in any sort of medical field. They feared that their lack of expertise would cost them a dear friend and her child if they didn't act quickly. They summoned Brother Bearden from his bedchamber and asked him to sit at vigil with Aurelia until the latest spasms passed.

Every friar there knew that Aubrey Bearden was a miracle worker with the healing herbs they used in their monestary. He'd saved many babies from premature birth with his special blends, soothing chants, and concentrated prayers on their behalf. They feared, however, that even he couldn't save the baby now. He carried a large, oval bag containing many kinds of healing powders, tinctures, and ointments; mostly for minor cuts, burns, and bruises. However, in the depths of his bag were his special potions and salves for preventing premature delivery; these were his real gift to the area.

"Aurelia, I'll do my best," he coughed nervously, "but there are no guarantees, especially if God's decided to call Marina back to Him earlier than we might wish it."

"I know, Friar, I know. I'm preparing my heart for that decision should it come down that way. In the meanwhile, though we need to fight to save my sweet Marina. I'd totally die if I felt I hadn't done everything within my puny powers to save her life. I'm her mama, doggone it, and I refuse to give her up without the battle of a lifetime."

They tried for several minutes to stave off the spasms, but nothing worked. When the next one hit, Aurelia knew it was different this time. It was a hard cramp, balled squarely behind her womb. She'd seen the looks on the faces of many laboring mamas to be and knew she was now in labor for real, which frightened her badly. Little one was just three months old, she wasn't in a place with incubators, surfactants, or any of the other modern things that might help her survive until she came to full term in six months. When she finally left everything up to God, a beatific smile lit her features and she truly relaxed for the first time in many hours.

She gave a quick glance towards the friars standing vigil over her bed and almost panicked in response. But Aurelia, seeing the terror on the men's faces, knew she'd have to tough it out alone if she were to save her sweet Marina and herself. Quickly and quietly she reached into her medical bag, something her brother-in-law had somehow managed to find and bring with him from the condo, and found the three vials of yellowish fluid. She hoisted the bag and its contents onto her bed, found her arm band, and used it to staunch the flow of blood and build her blood pressure before injecting the epinephrine into the large purple vein on her left arm. She flinched at the sting, but persisted until she'd successfully administered her first dose of epi; then lay back in exhaustion on the bed.

When the next contraction hit, it wasn't as strong as the last ones had been, so she knew she'd done the right thing. 45 minutes later, she injected the second dose; and administered the third shot 45 minutes after that. To her immense relief, the contractions stopped altogether; giving her the rest she'd craved for days now. She then found the milky substance beneath her Bible, uncorked her first bottle, and drank it slowly so it would find its marks well. Finally, she relaxed into her pillows and settled in for another long nap, but not before she asked for her cell phone.

"Bryce, I'm awake for a short while. I need you to stop by the Walgreen's at Eighth and Crespin for a full box of epinephrine, a five pound bag of epsom salts, two small boxes of baking soda, and a 2 quart pitcher to mix things in. Oh, and please buy four 32 bottle cases of Dasani water for me to mix my formulas with. Yes, I know, these ingredients seem a tad strange; add to the list a box of activated charcoal; but they've helped my overcome accidental poisonings in the past, so I know they'll work now. Thanks to adroit planning on my part, I had just enough epi and cream to stave off the contractions, and help my body flush the arsenic out once and for all."

"Okay, boss, you know what's best. Would you like a fresh set of cloths and night garments, as your others were ruined two nights ago?"

"That would be super, bro," she replied warmly, letting Bryce know she'd be okay. He was ecstatic to hear her affectionate use of 'bro' again, for it meant that she was trying to comfort him; a sure sign she was recovering from her ordeal.

"How's little Marina, sis?"

"She's holding her own now, thanks to your foresight with my medical bag. I had three remaining syringes of epi and two bottles of my anti-poisoning remedy left. That's why I'm gave you that list of supplies. I need to refresh my bag for another emergency. Although next time I hope I'm using them to help somebody else, thanks very much!"

No one noticed the stealthy figure who'd crept in behind Bryce's car as it was admitted through the gates. She snickered in glee that they hadn't seen her, for that meant she'd be able to do her sister further injury. Mandra wanted her sister dead once and for all, and the brat she carried with her. She had her reasons, and they didn't include her besotted husband, either.

©Petra K. Barajas **Aurelia's Wish Scene 4**


End file.
